Teachers make a difference!

What was the name of your first grade teacher? You may have seen a quiz on Facebook with this seemingly innocent question. However, experts warn that hackers can use your answers to access your accounts and wreak havoc. Since I don’t use that question, I can tell you my first grade teacher’s name was Mrs. Houston. I don’t remember anything in particular that she taught me, but I remember that we shared a birthday, she cared about us, and she made learning fun.

My children, who are in their thirties, had excellent teachers in Duplin County schools who inspired, encouraged, cared about them, and challenged them in ways that have helped them thrive as young adults.

A Chinese proverb says, “If you are planning for a year, sow rice. If you are planning for a decade, plant trees. If you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.”

Our public school teachers play a crucial role, not only in the education of our students but also in the shaping of the communities in which we live. Mary Ann Wolf, President and Executive Director of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, says, “Teachers need our support because students needs theirs. It is truly that simple.

If North Carolina intends to continue to thrive as a state, we must prepare our children to do so. By providing teachers the compensation, resources and respect they are entitled to as professionals, we give them the tools needed to build up each child.”

A recent article in the Raleigh News and Observer summarized this year’s report from the State Board of Education to the North Carolina General Assembly, which indicated an increase of 47% in the teacher attrition rate over the previous year. Teachers also often express they are underappreciated.

Unfortunately, there is a dangerous and false narrative in our culture that seeks to undermine public education and support of our teachers. However, I would remind us all that our teachers are our neighbors, family members, friends, fellow church members, and professionals who deserve and need our support as they do the critical and demanding work of educating our children. It has been said that teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions.

In a Peanuts cartoon, Peppermint Patty says to Charlie Brown, “I wonder what teachers make,” to which he replies, “A difference, Peppermint Patty, they make a difference!” How can you make a difference for our teachers? Most important, don’t buy into the teacher bashing and disrespect that is so prevalent today. Instead, consider being a volunteer at a local school, supporting teachers personally with encouragement and needed supplies, being an advocate for our Duplin County Schools and teachers, and, if you can’t become a teacher yourself, encouraging young people who have the gifts and potential to be excellent teachers.

The bumper sticker says, “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” That’s good advice because, as Charlie Brown says, “Teachers make a difference!”

Philip Gladden is an advocate for Duplin County Schools. He can be reached at gladdenphilip620@gmail.com.